One of the highlights of our weeklong adventure in Burma was a private visit to this nunnery. These women are cloistered – few ever leave the gates of their compound. They spend their days in learning, meditation, and prayer. I was allowed to photograph their activities at will. In this image, nine nuns gather round their teacher, sharing knowledge, intensely pouring their minds, hearts and souls into religious study. The atmosphere is indeed intense. This is not something done for pleasure. It is the purpose of their life. There can be more than one mood expressed in an image. Not only is the mood here intense, it is also communal. They may be individuals, but individuality is not at issue here. They are a committed community. Their robed bodies, huddled close to the ground and pressed together, form a bond that is anything but casual. They share everything they know and believe with each other.